Washington Post: Obamacare Costs Pushing Grandma Off The Cliff

Remember that 2011 commercial where a Paul Ryan look alike pushes and old lady in a wheelchair off a cliff? Ryan never did that…but Obamacare is. The Washington Post reports that women actually face cost increases in the range of what the president promised families would save. As Joann Weiner explains in the Washington Post

Women age 55 to 64 will pay from $2,185 to $2,738 more in premiums and out of pocket expenses under the new health insurance environment than they did pre-ACA.”

This is yet another broken health care promise, as costs for some have already increased by over 40 percent this year, and reports indicate that they will continue to climb next year. It’s going to be even worse for Grandma. As Weiner writes, “it appears that older women should be ready to face a ‘sticker shock’ when they go out to buy their health insurance on a federal exchange.”

But wait it was just a week ago that the Department of Health and Human Services reported that federal credits will cut the average health insurance premium for people eligible to receive tax credits by 76 percent.

Without the credits, individuals would pay $4,152 a year, on average, in health insurance premiums; with the credits, they’ll pay just $984 a year. Some 87 percent of people who bought insurance on a federal exchange chose a plan with tax credits, according to HHS.

Those numbers aren’t falsehoods.. they are just half–truths.

The government report, however, doesn’t take into account out of pocket costs and doesn’t say anything about how premiums might have changed because of the health care reform. Thus, it doesn’t show whether the tax credits are mostly offsetting reform-induced premium increases meaning that individuals aren’t really seeing a reduction in their health care costs or whether the credits are reducing the net price of health insurance coverage.

The post explains that people who purchase a bronze or silver plan will pay from $694 to $1,165 a year, or 14 to 24 percent more than their total costs before Obamacare. But that’s an average cost, Grandma is screwed.

Total expected premiums and out of pocket expenses rose by 50 percent for women age 55 to 64 — a much larger increase than for any other group — for policies on the federal exchanges relative to prices that individuals who bought individual insurance before health care reform went into effect.

Women age 55 to 64 will pay from $2,185 to $2,738 more in premiums and out of pocket expenses under the new health insurance environment than they did pre-ACA.

Premiums for the second-lowest silver policy are 67 percent higher for a 55 to 64-year-old woman than they were pre-ACA.

There have been so many broken promises exposed since Obamacare was implemented…this is just one more.

One of the president’s now infamous broken health care promises was the assurance that, “We’ll lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.” But the House Energy and Commerce Committee warned that this would never be the case. Specifically, a report from May 2013 found, “While the end of gender rating may decrease premiums for younger women, other populations including older women and men will see rates go up even with narrower age rating bands.” Now, The Washington Post reports that women actually face cost increases in the range of what the president promised families would save. As Joann Weiner explains in the Post’s “She the People” section, “Women age 55 to 64 will pay from $2,185 to $2,738 more in premiums and out of pocket expenses under the new health insurance environment than they did pre-ACA.” This is yet another broken health care promise, as costs for some have already increased by over 40 percent this year, and reports indicate that they will continue to climb next year. How does the future look for older women? Not good as Weiner writes, “it appears that older women should be ready to face a ‘sticker shock’ when they go out to buy their health insurance on a federal exchange.” – See more at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/icymi/news-washington-post-older-women-bear-brunt-higher-insurance-costs-under-obamacare#sthash.4Is4aDg6.dpuf

One of the president’s now infamous broken health care promises was the assurance that, “We’ll lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.” But the House Energy and Commerce Committee warned that this would never be the case. Specifically, a report from May 2013 found, “While the end of gender rating may decrease premiums for younger women, other populations including older women and men will see rates go up even with narrower age rating bands.” Now, The Washington Post reports that women actually face cost increases in the range of what the president promised families would save. As Joann Weiner explains in the Post’s “She the People” section, “Women age 55 to 64 will pay from $2,185 to $2,738 more in premiums and out of pocket expenses under the new health insurance environment than they did pre-ACA.” This is yet another broken health care promise, as costs for some have already increased by over 40 percent this year, and reports indicate that they will continue to climb next year. How does the future look for older women? Not good as Weiner writes, “it appears that older women should be ready to face a ‘sticker shock’ when they go out to buy their health insurance on a federal exchange.” – See more at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/icymi/news-washington-post-older-women-bear-brunt-higher-insurance-costs-under-obamacare#sthash.4Is4aDg6.dpuf

ne of the president’s now infamous broken health care promises was the assurance that, “We’ll lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.” But the House Energy and Commerce Committee warned that this would never be the case. Specifically, a report from May 2013 found, “While the end of gender rating may decrease premiums for younger women, other populations including older women and men will see rates go up even with narrower age rating bands.” Now, The Washington Post reports that women actually face cost increases in the range of what the president promised families would save. As Joann Weiner explains in the Post’s “She the People” section, “Women age 55 to 64 will pay from $2,185 to $2,738 more in premiums and out of pocket expenses under the new health insurance environment than they did pre-ACA.” This is yet another broken health care promise, as costs for some have already increased by over 40 percent this year, and reports indicate that they will continue to climb next year. How does the future look for older women? Not good as Weiner writes, “it appears that older women should be ready to face a ‘sticker shock’ when they go out to buy their health insurance on a federal exchange.” – See more at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/icymi/news-washington-post-older-women-bear-brunt-higher-insurance-costs-under-obamacare#sthash.4Is4aDg6.dpuf

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